The Corner of Quirky & Kinky

So, I’ve been thinking about this blog post and trying to decide which, from all the awesome memories of last year, I should pick for this post. Then, I got overwhelmed and decided that maybe the best way to go about picking best memories would be to peruse last year’s blog posts to try to narrow down the choices and put them in chronological order. Clever huh?

My awesome husband got a bonus from work and he bought me a new computer. Did I mention that he’s awesome? Also, I love my computer. But I love my husband more.

Oh, and February also brought me this .gif gift from Jessica when I was having a particularly difficult time. Almost a year later, I still laugh every damn time I look at it.

March

One of my favorite memories of March is hearing my daughter, Killian, yell at whatever anime she was watching at the time, “Oh, fuck that noise. That’s not a character, that’s a plot device!” The scorn in her voice was almost palpable, and I thought to myself, Good job, self. That’s parenting done right.

Also, occurring in March this text from my brother, Martin. Actually, first, a little background. I’m averageish height (5’4″) and I have short arms – my family calls me T-Rex. Anyway, I got this text from my brother, with the caption: “I named it Chris.” (For those who don’t know, Chris is my real name.) I laughed for a good half hour over this. That same March, I got my nephew, Martin’s son, a remote control T-Rex for his birthday. Martin convinced him to name the dino, “Aunt Chris”, which, of course, my nephew did. Which brings us to next month…

April

My nephew decided that Aunt Chris, the remote control T-Rex, needed a long skirt like mine and a big purse like mine and wouldn’t I please make Aunt Chris some clothes because she was naked. I wish I could show you all the look on his face when I brought Aunt Chris the clothes I made her. He was so delighted. And adorable. But I can show you Aunt Chris in her finery. Honestly, Aunt Chris looks like she’s ready for Burning Man…or a Lana Del Rey concert.

Also in April, my first book in the series I’m writing with my girl, Jess, came out. I’m super excited about this series for a number of reasons. First and foremost, doing this project with Jess has been some of the most fun I’ve ever had writing. Secondly, this book and everything leading up to it will always have a special place in my heart because I was told by someone that I didn’t have the ability to write in this genre and I should avoid it. It was wildly gratifying to prove that person wrong. In fact, I enjoyed proving that person wrong so much, that brings me to May.

May

As I was saying, I enjoyed proving that person wrong so much that I released another book in the series.

You can always bet that my favorite June memories will involve our writers retreat in the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I love the week I have every year with these guys – though this year, we were sadly missing our Norris because she had a big deal going on with her June. But I cannot stress enough how much I love spending a week with these women every year. This is the selfie we took in the grocery store to send Norris. You might wonder why the grocery store and not the picturesque backdrop of Lake Superior? Because we’re so far out in the boonies that there’s no internet. None. Except for Kellie who can sometimes randomly get on Facebook.

Also from retreat, celebrating the legalization of same-sex marriages in the U.S. since that happened while we were up there!

Even nature helped celebrate with this rainbow! It’s hard to tell, but it’s actually a double rainbow! (Seen from the deck of the house where we stay.)

July

Every July we go on a family vacation to a different part of the Upper Peninsula with my dad and step mom, one of my brothers and his fam and my two stepbrothers and their fams. Some of my favorite memories include one of my nieces doing my hair, getting to pet a bear cub, getting to see the bell from The Edmund Fitzgerald, and taking the Pictured Rocks cruise out into Lake Superior.

Also? We got these two super cute, very naughty kittens: Loki and Kitsune!

August

I picked Jess up in St. Ignace (just the other side of the Mackinac Bridge in the Upper Peninsula and we were trapped there for several hours because high winds closed the bridge. Then I locked my keys in the car at a gas station after we were chased away from another gas station by a crazy looking guy who was hollering about how he didn’t have gas, and then we drove through a storm with straightline winds. You’ll have to trust me that it was a hilarious, terrifying adventure.

We hung out with Jen while Jess was here and Jess got to see Kellie, Kayleigh and meet Jessica! We laughed and wrote and got Jess a new tattoo (which is becoming an annual theme) and wrote some more. It was glorious!

September

September was a big month for our family. My daughter, Killian, started out being my son, Killian. In fact, until the previous October, when she told us she was transgender, we had no clue. However, on the day before her birthday, this year, she came out publicly, and we couldn’t be more proud of her. On her birthday, she said that it was cool with her if I wanted to publicly wish my daughter a happy birthday on Facebook. Most of my friends and all of my immediate family already knew. With the exception of a few (very few) people who’ve chosen to be shitty, the support she’s experienced – the support we’ve all experienced – has been beautiful and overwhelmingly positive beyond belief. This is honestly one of my favorite memories not just of the year, but of my entire lifetime.

Also? My family got to hang out with the very awesome Kayleigh and her equally awesome hubby at the Ren Faire and my sister and I got to meet the Goblin King. Like you do.

October

October was a big month for releases. I released my first ever MM romance and my first ever vampire book with these lovely ladies. Granted, the vampires are the big bads in this story, but it was still exciting for me.

November

I got to witness an awesome autumn storm on Lake Michigan with Rox, a dear friend of mine – in fact, we had our 21 Year Friendaversary in July. We froze our asses off, but it was worth it. And these pictures don’t do it justice.

I also got these random texts with no context whatsoever. (The first three are from my sister the last two are from Rox.) These are memories that continue to delight me.

Dana Scully is the spirit animal I wish I had but I know I don’t deserve.

December was a great month for me! My youngest brother and his wife, who’ve struggled with fertility issues for years, had their first baby!!! So, I have a new niece and she is absolutely amazing. My brother calls her Gypsy Danger – that’s her superhero name, you know. I’m utterly smitten and in love.

Also…my kids made this cookie and sang, “Meth-y, the Snowman, was a very tortured soul…” while decorating it. My sister made up more lyrics, but I was laughing too hard to remember them properly.

What glorious memories! Thank you for sharing them. The best thing for me about 2015 – coming home. I didn’t realize just how much I missed Michigan until I returned this time. It is so good to be HOME!